439 miles
by Miss Peg
Summary: 439.4 miles away, Jane can't sleep.
1. Chapter 1

**Author Note** **: I have been thinking a lot about post-season 7 fics, and this is the first I've really come up with, aside from something very sad that I'm sure you'd all love to read right now.**

 **Warning : _Contains SPOILERS for SEASON SEVEN_**

 **Disclaimer** **: I don't own them, or their past, but their future? Well, nobody else is gonna write it... (except other fanfic writers)**

* * *

00:59 merged into 01:00.

Jane stared at the clock, desperately hoping it would fast forward to 06:00. At least then she could get up. She sat up in bed and perched her laptop on her knee, browsing the photo album Maura had put together before their trip to Paris. Photo after photo of crime scenes, case after case, victim after victim. Beside the case photos, she had a folder designated to the photographs they'd taken in Paris, but it was too hard to look at them right now.

After ten minutes scrolling through photographs, she moved the cursor to the Skype icon and clicked the button to start a call with Maura. She waited, watching it twirl around, until Maura's face appeared on the screen.

"You know the case with the monkey," she said. "Did the guys wife do it or was it his girlfriend?"

Maura frowned, rubbed her eyes, and stared back at Jane. "It was his second girlfriend."

"Of course it was!"

"Jane," she said. "Why are you ringing me at one in the morning to ask me about an old case? Not that it isn't lovely to hear from you, but I thought you'd decided not to contact any of us for at least two weeks."

"I was just looking through the photos you put together." Jane split the screen, scanning the rest of the photos on the right hand side.

"Okay."

"I miss you."

She turned her head to the side, Maura's eyes glistened under the dull light from what Jane could only assume was her beside lamp. "I miss you, too."

Screen Maura was not the same. Jane reached a hand out to her face, to brush a strand of hair to one side, then pulled her hand back. It wouldn't work. She was too far away.

"Everything's different here," she said, slouching down. She lifted a pillow up and squashed it beneath her head. "It's not the same."

Maura smiled. A sympathy smile. Jane knew it anywhere. "That is how new jobs, and new cities, work."

"I don't understand the subway."

"Why would you need to?"

"I don't know." She shrugged. "But if I wanted to, I don't know how it works."

"I imagine it's not that different to the T," Maura said.

"The lines have weird names."

"I thought they were the same," Maura said. "When I did some research they had the same names as the T."

"I live on the yellow line."

"Is that a problem?"

"There's no yellow line in Boston."

"I thought the FBI had helped you to purchase a car."

She pushed out her bottom lip and glared at Maura. She reached the bottom of the photographs, and scrolled back up.

"Who was the Barbie killer again?"

"The Barbie killer?" Maura frowned. "I don't recall that case."

"You know, the girl who looked like she was a Barbie doll. She wore a pink dress, and her hair was bleach blonde. She was six feet tall and had tits the size of Boston Harbour."

"Ah. Samantha Girard, her best friend."

"How do you remember that?"

Maura shrugged. "I don't know."

"Everybody at the FBI is horrible."

"I'm sure that's not true," Maura said. "It will take some time to get to know them."

"They're not like the people at BPD."

"That's because they're new. Remember when Nina joined us and you hated her?"

"I didn't hate Nina."

"No, but I specifically remember you saying you hated her the first day she came. You were actually upset that we had a new Crime Scene Analyst. You didn't like the way she sat in Frost's chair in the BRIC."

"She made it too low."

"It's going to take a while for you to get to know the people there."

"I know." She closed her eyes and shook her head. "I don't want to have to do that. I don't want to have to get to know new people."

"You're homesick."

"No, I'm not."

"What are you then?" Maura asked.

She stared at Maura again, her heart in her throat. "I'm Paris sick. I'm Maura sick."

"You wish we were back in Paris?"

"I want to be back in the sixth arrondissement drinking coffee and eating smelly cheese."

"We can plan another trip, maybe next year."

"It won't be the same." Jane sighed. "Not when we're living hundreds of miles apart."

"It's late," Maura said. "You should get some sleep, or you won't be fit for work in the morning."

"I guess."

"Has it helped seeing my face?"

"More than you'll know," she whispered. "Yeah."

"Try to get to your two weeks," Maura said. "It'll be easier to make new friends if you're not pining after your old ones."

"I don't pine."

Maura raised an eyebrow. "You're pining right now."

"I don't like DC."

"What about Agent Davies? Can't he help?"

"No." She rolled her eyes. "He's married."

"What?"

"He claims they're separated, but she looks at him like a lost puppy. I don't want complicated."

"A friendship doesn't have to be complicated."

"It does when we've slept together, and his wife is still in love with him."

Maura smiled, her eyes glistened. She reached a hand up to the screen. "Get some sleep, you'll feel better for it."

"Okay."

"Goodnight, Jane."

"Night, Maura."

x

"Hello," Maura said. "Or should that be good morning?"

Jane shrugged. "I haven't gone to bed, yet."

"I know." Maura sighed. "It's not that I'm not happy to hear from you, but this is the fifth night in a row. What happened to getting used to your new colleagues?"

She glared at the screen. She would never get used to the digital version of Maura; it wasn't enough. She pursed her lips. "They hate me."

"I'm sure that's not true," Maura said, disappearing from the screen briefly. "I know you can be a little difficult to get to know at first, but that's not to say nobody will try."

"Where did you go?"

"I had to put down my glass of water."

"Agent Davies' wife is on the team," Jane said. "Talk about awkward. I knew she worked there but I didn't realise I'd have to see her every day. It's like a big old awkward dinner party, all the time."

"Does she know you slept with her husband?"

"No."

"Then how do you know it's awkward?"

"I can feel it, obviously."

She opened up the photo album from their trip to Paris. Every single photograph she'd taken had Maura in it; Maura in front of the Eiffel Tower, Maura down the Champs-Elysees, Maura eating mussels on the banks of Seine.

"What I mean," Maura said. "Is that it may feel awkward for you, but is it awkward for her?"

"I guess not. She keeps talking to me like I'm her best friend or something."

"That's nice."

"I don't need another best friend, Maura," Jane said, whining. She hated when she whined. Yet the moment required it. She stared at her again. Maura reached across to one side. "What are you doing?"

"Why do you need to know what I'm doing?"

"Because I can't see."

Maura smiled. "You don't need to see me flick a spider from my bedsheets."

"Ew."

Occasionally her face popped up in the corner of a photograph, or they did a joint selfie. The more photos she looked at, the harder it became. She hated to remember the good days, before.

"If you don't stop waking me up at one in the morning, you're going to have no best friends," Maura said.

" _What_?"

"I'm joking." Maura's smirk matched the expression in the photo she took at a restaurant in their third week. Their days had a rhythm to them; a walk to the nearest boulangerie for fresh bread, breakfast at the apartment Maura had rented, a run along the River Seine, lunch at a restaurant, sight-seeing, dinner, then wine on the balcony. "However, I do need more sleep. Perhaps tomorrow you can call me around nine."

"Why nine?"

"Why not nine?"

"Can't I call you at eleven?"

"Eleven would be okay," Maura said. "It means I can write another chapter before your call."

Some nights Maura wrote her novel, some mornings they stayed in bed until noon. Or at least Jane did, she expected Maura probably continued their routine, or visited one of the sights Jane refused to go to.

"Do I have to go to bed now?"

"Yes, Jane." Maura smiled, and held up a framed photograph of them stood side by side under the Arc de Triumph. "I got some of our photographs printed, this one's my favourite. Would you like a copy?"

"That was a brilliant day," Jane said, leaning closer to the screen. "Please."

"You're always in my thoughts," Maura said. "Even when you're not in my presence."

She closed her eyes and breathed deeply. "I guess it's goodnight."

"It's for your good as much as mine."

"But I can't sleep in this bed," she said. "The mattress is lumpy."

"It's Sunday, perhaps you could order yourself a new mattress, since it's your day off."

"That's an option, I suppose."

"Good night, Jane."

"Night, Maura."


	2. Chapter 2

**Author Note : Well this is more popular than I was expecting, but I suppose it makes sense because you're all probably craving more in terms of an ending, like anyone I've spoken to. Thank you so much for everyone who has commented, followed or favourited. I hope you enjoy the next chapter.**

* * *

Jane tossed a handful of photographs to the recruits at the end of the row and waited until they'd been passed around. She watched them scan the images, searched their eyes for any hint of significance. After a moment, she leaned back against the desk at the front of the room and folded her hands together.

"How did he die?"

"Gunshot," a young woman said.

Walking toward her, Jane leaned against the table and stared into her eyes. "Name."

"Samantha Jackson."

"Samantha Jackson," she repeated. "How do you know the victim died of a gunshot?"

Looking back, she smiled with confidence. "There's a gunshot wound."

"How do you know?" Jane asked, walking around the room, her eyes trained on each individual until she returned to Samantha. "How can you say that this victim died of a gunshot wound?"

"It looks like a gunshot wound," Samantha said.

"Can you see a bullet?"

"No."

She picked up the first photograph and held it out to her. "What can you see?"

"A wound, with blood…"

Jane span around, waving the picture in front of everyone's faces. "Anyone else think this is blood?"

A couple of hands shot up, followed by a few more, until the entire class sat with their hands in the air. Jane returned the photograph to Samantha's desk and turned to the young man on her right.

"What's your name?"

"Alby."

"Alby seeing you? Alby watching you? I need your fullt name, Alby."

"Albert Rainer, the third, Ma'am."

Jane rolled her eyes. "No need for the Ma'am. I ain't your mama, I ain't your grandma. It's Rizzoli or nothing. So, Albert Rainer the third, how do you know it's blood?"

"It looks like…" he said, glancing at his peers, his eyebrows creased together.

"No."

"No?" he asked. He slouched into his seat and cleared his throat.

She picked up a copy of the photographs and returned to the front. Leaning against her desk, she held them up, one after the other. "You. Do. Not. Guess."

"But it's obviously blood," someone said.

Turning to the voice on the other side of the room, Jane stood upright. "Who said that?"

"Me." A tall, young man with brown hair and plenty of brawn stood up. "Richard Frances McCoy."

"You think you're pretty smart, don't you?" she asked, stepping toward him with a smile on her face. He grinned back. But when Jane's smile faded, he lowered himself back down into his seat. "You do not know it's blood until the crime scene team have analysed it."

"Why?" Samantha asked.

"Why?" Jane walked around the room. "To avoid inaccuracies. If you think it's blood, start waving your gun around looking for someone who might be shooting people, you might have completely passed over the bit of information that says it's a brown smudge, dirt, red clay from a desert location. You might miss a vital clue because you've jumped in head first without the full information."

"Is it a brown smudge?" she asked.

"No." Jane smirked, folding her arms. "It's a gun shot. But you cannot trust your eyes without knowing, you cannot just guess. You need to think harder, analyse, search for clues, try to find out if what you're seeing is what you think you're seeing."

A bell rang out across the room. Jane picked up some of the photographs and moved around. A couple of people handed her a pile, whilst others left them on their desks.

"I'll see you tomorrow at the same time."

The class filed out, leaving Jane to tidying up the photographs. She filed them away in her satchel and slung it over her shoulder. Agent Davies watched from the corner where he'd been sat, silently observing her.

"What the hell was that?" he asked, standing up. He dropped his arm to his side, notepad in hand.

"What was what?" Jane frowned. "I was teaching."

"Teaching the new recruits not to guess," he said.

She returned her satchel to the desk and folded her arms. "Well, they shouldn't."

He waved his arms out at his sides. "Sometimes a guess is all we've got."

"And sometimes a guess can get people killed," Jane said, narrowing her eyes.

"Cut the guessing lecture, Rizzoli." He slipped his pen into his jacket pocket. "We teach these kids hard and we teach them well, but we teach them to use their instincts not hide away from any potential consequences of guessing."

"Why?"

"Why?" He stepped back. "Because they're training to become FBI agents, not city cops."

Jane's eyes widened, her mouth dropped open. " _Oh_."

He stepped toward her and rested his hand on her shoulder. "I didn't mean it like that."

"You clearly did." She shrugged him away and put some distance between them. "I was asked to be here; I was invited to do this job. If you don't like how I do it, then go ahead and report me or something. But don't tell me what I'm doing is wrong."

"I didn't say it was wrong."

"It just doesn't fit what you think is right." Jane scoffed. "If you wanna teach them to take stupid risks then that's your business. I'll continue to teach them to think twice, rather than make assumptions."

"I can see you're not going to take on board my feedback," he said, resting his notepad on the desk.

"Criticism."

"Feedback." He stepped forward again. "Perhaps we could grab a coffee, talk about how things are going."

"I don't wanna discuss anything with you."

"I'm not your supervisor, you don't have to, but as someone observing your work I would suggest you take me up on my offer."

"That depends on whether your offer is as an observer, or as someone who wants to find his way back into my panties."

He pursed his lips. "I'm gonna let this slide."

"You do that."

"I'll be watching you, Rizzoli."

"Why don't you get your wife to watch me too?"

He stood upright and puffed out his chest. "This is about my marriage?"

"No," she said, picking up her satchel again. "I don't care if you're married."

" _Separated_."

"Like I said, I don't care. What I care about is doing my job, and not having my colleagues lie to me."

"I didn't lie."

"You sure bent the truth."

"I didn't do that either."

"Really?" She turned and headed toward the door.

"I've been with the FBI for twenty years," Davies said, following her. "I know how to bend the truth. All I did was keep something from you."

Twisting around, she tilted her head. "Isn't that the same thing?"

"No," he said, stopping in front of her. "I like you, Jane. Don't let one thing ruin that."

"A lot's changed this past six weeks," she said. "Your wife is the icing on the cake. As I said the other day, I'm done."

"Look." He glanced at his watch. "I've got a class, please meet me later and we can talk, again."

"No."

"Please, Jane."

"I'm busy."

Another bell rang out across the corridor and classroom. Davies stepped into the threshold. "I have to go."

"I'm not stopping you."

"Think about it, Campello's at eight."

"You'll be drinking alone."

x

The clock flicked from 19:59 to 20:00. Jane stared at the computer screen, waiting for Maura's face to appear. When it didn't, Jane frowned.

"Where are you?" she shouted, Maura's kitchen laid out in front of her. "Why aren't you there?"

"Sorry," Maura said, entering the screen. She sat down at her desk and smiled. "Hello, Jane."

"Where were you?"

"I was refilling my wine." Maura held up a small glass and took a sip. "Vin Santo, 1962. It's full bodied, sweet and goes great with gorgonzola."

"Gorgonzola?"

She lifted up a plate. "The cheese."

"Did I interrupt you running a wine and cheese tasting event?"

"No." Maura placed her glass down beside her. "I rarely indulge in my more expensive wines so thought I'd treat myself to a cheese course."

"Cheese course?"

"After dinner cheese, and a fig and cracked black pepper bread."

"Well, I had pizza and beer," Jane said, sitting back against the couch. "A meat pizza with all the toppings, and a cheesy crust. It's not as fancy as your fancy wine and cheese course, but I bet it tastes a lot nicer."

"I beg to differ," said Maura. "Gorgonzola has a sharp earth flavour, it's a little salty and very crumbly, with a sweet aftertaste. It's the one you wouldn't eat on our final night in Paris."

Jane stared at the screen until Maura finished. She sighed. "We don't have fancy cheese in DC. Or fancy wine."

Maura frowned. "That can't be true."

"It is, the place is completely dry, no wine, no cheese, except the stringy stuff in the pizza crust and mozzarella."

"Are you suffering from FOMO?"

"Fo-what?"

"FOMO – the fear of missing out."

"No," she said, resting her head on her hand and holding it up at the elbow. "Why would I be missing out with smelly cheese?"

"Not the cheese."

"I'm fine."

"Still homesick?"

"I've never been homesick." Jane pushed the laptop screen back a little. "But Agent Davies is still annoying me."

"Is that because you'd like to have sex with him again?"

"No, Maura."

"I thought you were really attracted to him."

Jane shrugged. "The wife made him ugly."

"How was your day?"

"Fine."

"What did you do?"

"I told everybody not to guess," she said."

"You did?" Maura grinned, sitting forward. "I thought I would never impart that piece of wisdom in you."

"Well, you make a fair point. Agent Davies didn't like it. He wants the recruits to take risks and get their arms blown off rather than think twice about whether blood is blood."

"It's a good thing you're there."

"Wish I wasn't."

"I know." Maura's smile weakened. "But tomorrow is another day, and perhaps you'll find your work more enjoyable."

"I like the work," Jane said. "The recruits look at me like I know all the answers. It's like one big power trip."

"If you enjoy your work, then what would make DC more enjoyable?"

"If you lived next door."

Maura sighed and closed her eyes momentarily. She sat back and opened them again, forging a toothy grin. "You don't need me to make DC better."

"You're wrong."

Maura smirked. "You're guessing."

Jane rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah."


	3. Chapter 3

**Author Notes : Thank you everyone who has commented, favourited, or followed. I'm enjoying writing this as a low-key, not so complex story. I don't anticipate it being very long; hopefully you'll continue to enjoy it.**

* * *

"We've been chatting for a few weeks and you've not talked about one case," Jane said, leaning forward toward the laptop. She picked up her beer bottle and took a sip. "When I was at home we'd always talk about the cases."

"In case you've forgotten," Maura said. "You no longer work on the cases."

"So?"

"So, I cannot divulge information with you."

Jane glared at her through the screen. She stared into her eyes, narrowing them slightly. "Bullshit, Maura."

"I beg to differ." Maura sipped her mug of tea. "The confidential nature of our cases is paramount to the investigation."

"Not that," Jane said. "Bullshit that that's the reason you won't discuss them with me."

Maura sighed and leaned back in her seat. She swallowed another mouthful of tea, her eyebrows creased together. "You said it yourself recently, everything's different."

"Duh! _I'm_ not there."

Tilting her head to one side, Maura returned her cup and saucer to her desk. "Regardless, it's not the same as it used to be."

"What do you mean?"

"It's difficult to know what's changed but something has." She picked up a printed photograph of the two of them by the Seine and held it up to the camera. "Ever since I returned from France it feels like something is missing."

"I know you love me but you loved your work before me and you'll love it after me," Jane said. A lump formed in the back of her throat. The photograph was the same photo she had on her cellphone lock screen. She pressed the home button and it lit up, Maura's huge smile spread across it. She pressed her lips together and cleared her throat.

"I wish it was just you," Maura said, returning the photo to its place on the desk. "I miss you, of course I do. It's strange having new faces in Homicide. I'm sure Frankie will agree; Burke and Holmes are lovely people but they're young, they don't know our rhythm, and if they don't find someone to replace Korsak soon they'll be fornicating more openly. They need boundaries."

"Fornicating?" Jane smirked.

"Sexual intercourse."

"I know what fornication is, Maura." She rolled her eyes. "They're having sex?"

"I surmise they're having sex based on several cues."

"What sort of cues?"

"The way he touches her when they're laughing together. I caught them in the janitor's closet yesterday, they claim they got lost. I reminded them they may be new to homicide but they're not new to the police department. They were very red in the face and Holmes' lipstick was smudged."

Jane opened her mouth and stared at Maura. "The horror!"

"I know." Maura paused, her eyes tightened round the sides. "Wait, are you mocking me?"

"Would I be as good a friend if I didn't?"

"Jane. This is serious."

"Fornicating detectives?"

"No." Maura sighed. "I've lost something and I don't know if I can ever get it back."

"Have you tried?"

"I don't know what I can do. Taking a break clearly created this, so I doubt another one would fix it."

"Maybe you should try something else," Jane said, glancing back down at her cellphone. On the screen a message appeared. She stared at it.

"What's wrong?"

"What?" Jane asked, sitting upright.

"You look concerned."

"Just an SMS from Davies, he wants to talk."

"He's still bothering you?"

Jane shrugged. "I'm ignoring it."

"That sounds like the best option." Maura smiled. "Jane, I'm already writing a novel, I don't know how else I can try something different."

"I don't know, Maur. I'm not an expert in getting into a rut. What's wrong with the job?"

"I don't know."

"Maybe you should try to figure that out. Then you can decide if it's something worth changing."

"You're right."

x

The screen sprang to life. Maura's face appeared, her lips curved and her eyes creased at the edges. Jane leaned forward as though to reach out and touch her. She sighed and leaned back, her eyes downturned at the sides.

"You look happy," Jane said.

Maura grinned. "I'm excited."

"What did I miss?"

"I thought about what we discussed the other day." Maura unraveled a scarf from around her neck and folded it up. "I love speaking for those who cannot speak for themselves."

"Dead people?"

"Yes, Jane."

She removed a pair of gloves and started to unbutton her jacket.

"Is this some kind of anti-sexy strip tease?"

Maura's mouth dropped open. "Pardon?"

"The clothes, Maura," Jane said. "Why do you keep removing things?"

"It's cold outside."

"It's late, where did you go?"

Slipping her jacket off her shoulders and around the back of her chair, Maura stayed silent for a moment. Eventually, when Jane was becoming a little impatient, she spoke again. "I went out for dinner with an old friend."

"Lucky you."

"Jane," Maura said. "It's not my fault you move interstate."

"I know." She sighed. "I'm just bored of eating alone. I miss burgers."

"There's plenty of burgers in DC."

"Not Dirty Robber burgers."

"Before you know it it'll be Thanksgiving and you'll be home."

Jane held her beer bottle in hand, then tried to empty the final drops into her mouth. "Tell Ma I'm not having turkey this year."

"Why not?"

"I'm having burgers," she said, slamming the bottle down on her table and sighing. "I ran out of beer."

"Altogether or the bottle in your hand?"

"This bottle."

"Would you like to get another one before we continue?"

"No, it's fine," she said, slouching in her seat.

"Speaking for others is what made me want to become a medical examiner," Maura said. "I wanted to help people. I needed to do something that had minimal contact with others. It fit my life in that time and place."

Leaning forward, Jane stared at Maura again, her eyes wide and her mouth dropped open. "Are you quitting?"

"No," Maura said. "At least, I don't anticipate quitting."

"But you could?"

"I don't know right now." She pushed a strand of hair back from her cheek. "But I decided to phone Aldric Henderson, I heard that he was in town and we went for dinner."

A few moments passed. Jane frowned. Maura's attention turned away from the screen. "I'm waiting for some sort of explanation as to who that is. Name means nothing to me."

"I am expecting a message from him to confirm what we discussed," Maura said, turning her attention back to the screen. "He spent thirty years as a medical examiner in Maryland. I have attended several of his lectures and I speak very highly of his methods. He has revolutionised the techniques used with the insurgence of modern technology. I've learned a great deal from the papers he's published."

"And your point is?"

"Sorry, I digress. Aldric is a professor at George Washington University."

"Yay for him," Jane said, holding up her thumbs, and grinning so widely her cheekbones ached.

Maura glared, then her face softened. "I'll get to my point in a moment."

"Get there quicker," Jane said. "My beers empty and they haven't invented robots who can get me another."

"Actually, they have. They've got life sized robots in Japan. Though I am certain they're perhaps outside of your price range but you..."

"Maura!"

"I'm sorry." She sat back. "Get your beer. I can wait."

"Now you're making me want to know," Jane said, pouting. "Just hurry up, and no more random factoids."

"Very well. I mentioned my recent dissatisfaction with my work and he has asked if I'd like to do some guest lectures for his classes."

Jane sat upright. "You're gonna teach again?"

"We've scheduled a week of lectures with his Forensic Pathology students, as well as a number for anyone interested in Pathology on a more basic level. He also suggested we joint lecture in his firearms and toolmark identification class. But yes, I'm going to teach again."

"That's fantastic, Maura." Jane stood up, grabbing her beer bottle. She leaned back down to the screen. "That sounds like something different to try."

"You've not even heard the best part," Maura said.

"There's more?" Jane slouched back into her seat, cradling her empty bottle. "How can there be more?"

"I'm sorry," Maura said. "But this is the last thing. I don't know how well you know George Washington."

"First President of the United States."

"I mean the university."

"Not at all," Jane said.

"It's in Washington."

"State?"

"No!" Maura's lips curved uncontrollably, until her smile reached up to her eyes. "DC."

Jane rested her hands on the table and jumped out of her seat. "You're coming to DC?"

"I'm coming to DC."

Jane sat back and narrowed her eyes in Maura's direction. "Have they invented a robot that hugs people through the screen?"

"I'm not sure," Maura said.

Jumping about in her seat, Jane grinned. "When do you arrive?"

"I thought you wanted a beer."

"Beer can wait." She placed the empty bottle back on the table. "You can stay in my apartment."

"But there's only one bed."

"I'll take the couch," Jane said.

"I can find a hotel."

"No!" Jane shook her head vehemently. "You're staying with me."

"I can't kick you out of your bed."

"Well, I could stay in it if you want, but then you won't have room for your dangly arms and legs."

"My dangly arms and legs?" Maura's eyebrows tugged together as she sat back. "What are you referring to?"

"In Paris when I fell asleep on your bed, your arms and legs kept hitting me in the night."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

"I didn't mind."

"Then I'm definitely staying in a hotel."

"Just kidding, Maura. You can throw your arms and legs out all you like. It'd be nice to have you stay."

Maura grinned back. "Only if you're sure."

"I am."

"I arrive a week on Wednesday," she said. "It would be wonderful to see you."

"Let me see," she said, looking from side to side. She picked up a notepad and skimmed through the pages. "Am I free?"

"Jane!"

"Of course I'm free," she said, dropping the notepad back on the table. She held her fists out in front of her and squealed. "I'm so excited!"

"Me too," Maura said. "As lovely as it is to share my news with you, I really should get some sleep. We've got a difficult case."

Sitting forward, Jane gave her her full attention. "Tell me about it."

"No."

"Why not?" she moaned.

Maura stared at her. "I've already told you I can't because the cases are confidential."

"Confidential sponfidential, I'm your recently former colleague. I still have clearance."

Frowning, Maura shook her head. "No, you don't."

"I have FBI clearance which trumps everything at BPD."

"No." Maura smirked. "It doesn't."

"Stop trying to ruin my fun."

"Goodnight, Jane."

Pouting, Jane slouched down in her seat. "Night, Maura."


	4. Chapter 4

**Author Note : I've had a really busy weekend - it was my towns Pride celebrations, and I was in the parade and had a stall at the community expo event. It was lots of fun, but also very tiring! I'm going to work on Lullaby next, today, hopefully. I know it needs updating, so it's a priority. Then Slide, then back here.**

* * *

"This is so much better than a robot doing it for me," Jane said, wrapping her arms tightly around Maura's body. She closed her eyes, her cheek rested against her hair. A couple of strands tickled her face but she didn't want to move. She breathed in slowly, committing to memory the scent of Maura's hair. Realising, quite quickly, how weird it looked, she stepped out of the embrace.

"I thought you were never going to let me go," Maura said, grinning. "It's so good to see you."

Jane narrowed her eyes. The distance between them was too big. A wave of homesickness flooded her emotions until she felt like she was about to cry. "When did you cut your hair?"

"Yesterday."

"It's different," she said, frowning.

"Do you like it?"

Shrugging, Jane rubbed her cheeks, disguising the removal of a couple of stray tears. "I'm parked in a loading zone so let's go."

"You do realise there's short term parking options."

"And pay through the nose?" Jane rolled her eyes and reached for Maura's suitcase. "Not likely."

"I thought the FBI paid better than BPD."

"They do," Jane said. "But that doesn't mean I wanna spend all my money on expensive parking."

"What if they've towed your car?"

"I have a special FBI badge."

Maura twitched her mouth from side to side. "For any use?"

"No." Jane stalked onward. She didn't want to be so far away from her favourite person, and yet the thought of sitting in a car with her for a while was too tempting. "It works every time I use it, though."

In the loading bay, Jane pushed the suitcase into the trunk and climbed into the driver's seat beside Maura. She started the car, took one glance at Maura, and set off, her lips spread from ear to ear.

On the drive they talked about home, about Frankie, Nina and Angela, Korsak and Kiki, Kent and his pet duck. She asked about their booth at the bar, and the man who sat on the street corner not far from BPD. It took moments for them to fall back into their usual step, their familiar routine of jokes and conversation. When she pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building, Jane felt a little sad that the journey was over.

"What do you wanna do for dinner?" Jane asked, turning off the engine and climbing out of the car.

"I'm cooking," Maura said.

Jane hesitated, holding onto the edge of the trunk. "You're my guest, Maur, you don't have to cook."

"This is one meal you will want me to cook."

"Why?"

The trunk lifted open and she tugged the case out of it, sliding it along the floor.

Maura followed. "You'll see."

"Is this like the time you tried to poison me with one of those smelly fish?"

Pressing her lips together, Maura fought the desire to smile. "No. I promise you, you'll like this."

On the first floor, Jane unlocked her apartment door and dropped Maura's bag beside it. She walked through the kitchen and lounge area.

"This is my living space, it's very avant-garde."

"Avant-garde?" Maura raised an eyebrow.

"Sure," she said. "I have some fancy fabrics laid out across my brand new, and overly priced, but super comfortable couch. A state of the art table especially for holding my new fifty-inch television. Wait until you see my memory foam mattress with super absorbent foam."

"Super absorbent?"

"It's like the latest in memory foam technology, or whatever bullshit they said on the television advert."

Maura laid her jacket down on the edge of the couch and turned to face Jane, she breathed in slowly, and smiled. "It's a lovely place you picked."

"You picked it."

"I did?" Maura glanced around again. "Now that you mention it, the building did look familiar. I thought it was dated inside."

"Looks like I got lucky and they decided to do some work before I moved in. Rent's a bit higher, but it's worth it for an oven nobody's left uncleaned for a century."

Maura grinned. "There is something to be said about a brand new oven. You were very lucky."

"Wanna see the bedroom?"

"If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were coming onto me," Maura said, following Jane towards a couple of doors.

"You'd be lucky," she said, opening the door and switching on the light. "This is my boudoir."

"Did they make you read the dictionary as part of your training?"

Jane rolled her eyes. "Ha-ha."

"I think I'll go freshen up and then I can start on dinner."

"I could always order take-out," Jane said, perching on the end of her bed. "You really shouldn't have to cook."

Maura sat down beside her and grasped her hand. "You're allowing me to stay in your home. It's the least I can do."

"It's not like I'm saving you money, you're loaded."

"Regardless. Let me do this. Is there a game on? Open a beer, watch football or baseball, or hockey if you want, and let me cook."

x

An hour later, and a second beer in hand, Jane looked down at the burger and fries on her plate. She stared across the small table at Maura, her mouth slightly open. She tried to find words to fill the silence but nothing seemed to form.

"You look shocked," Maura said, smiling.

"Dirty Robber burger and fries," she said, stating what she expected was the obvious. "How?"

"I purchased a container that would allow the burger and fries to remain frozen long enough to make the journey. I can't guarantee it will taste exactly the same but your mother gave me instructions."

She closed her mouth. A couple of fresh tears skirted around the edge of her eyelids. "Why did you do this?"

"You said you missed it."

"Yeah, I do." Jane picked up her burger and took a bite. She stared down at the bite mark and savoured every heartwarming chew. She tried to smile again but she could feel her emotions fight back. "Tastes like home."

"I'm glad."

"I need to use the restroom," she said, placing her burger onto her plate and leaving the room.

In the bathroom, Jane stared at her reflection. Tears dropped down the contours of her face, colliding with each other. She hated that she felt so emotional. She didn't want her week with Maura to be ruined by her inability to control herself. The same thing happened in her final days in Paris. Something had changed, shifted, and she couldn't explain it. All she knew was that she felt even more strongly that she didn't, couldn't, leave Maura.

But leave her she had to do. Despite wanting to fly back together, Jane had begrudgingly changed her return journey to take her straight to DC.

 _"Do you really want to have to say goodbye in Boston, then have to get on another plane?"_

 _"No."_

She wiped her face with a damp towel and dried off. Her burger would be cold, and she didn't regret it for a second. There was something equally nice about a cooled Dirty Robber burger.

"I thought you'd got lost," Maura said. Her eyebrows kitted together slightly, the briefest crease, before returning to the smile spread across her face. "Would you like me to reheat your food?"

"Nah. Tastes better cold," she said, sitting back down.

They sat in silence. Jane searched for words, she searched for something to say that didn't sound ridiculous, or throw her emotions back into meltdown. Nothing came. After a while Maura talked about her week teaching and, as she always did, Jane listened. She heard the words, but mostly she soaked up the sound of her voice. It sounded different when they talked on Skype.

She didn't realise how much you could miss the real sound of someone's voice before.

x

She tossed back the bedsheets and lay down. Maura closed the bedroom door and lay down beside her. Jane turned into her side and watched her settled. She pursed her lips, words still further away than she would have liked.

"It's so good to see you again," Maura said, smiling. Jane smiled back, nodding her head. "I have tomorrow afternoon free, what time do you finish work?"

"My last class is at three, you should check out the museums and I can come meet you before dinner."

Maura rolled onto her side and glanced back at Jane. "Are you saying that so you don't have to go to the museum with me?"

"No." She leaned forward, rolling her eyes. "Yes."

"Dinner it is, then. Goodnight, Jane."

Rolling over in the opposite direction, Maura flicked off the bedside lamp. Jane stared at her hair, glistening under the moonlight. She breathed in slowly, and exhaled into the darkness.

"Night, Maura."


	5. Chapter 5

**Author Note** **: Thanks to everyone who has been reading, reviewing, etc. I anticipate there'll probably be one or two more chapters after this one. It was never going to be a long story, and I'd really like to get it finished before I go away - for your sakes as much as mine. I only wish I could move past the block I seem to have with Lullaby. I go away for a month on Tuesday, and though I may find some time to write, it won't be for the first week and it may not be enough to post. But my block on Lullaby stands. So if I can finish this one, then get Slide into a position where it's like a mid-season finale, then it won't be so bad.**

* * *

Stumbling, Jane landed on the bed and rolled onto her front. She crawled up to the pillows and lay down. Maura perched at her side, laughing softly.

"Was a good night," Jane said, sighing. Her eyelids closed.

Maura reached for her cheek, tapping it gently. "Don't sleep yet."

"Tired," she said turning her face away.

"Move over." Maura pushed her side, her fingertips graced the small portion of flesh on show. Jane scooted across, her eyes fixed on Maura's hand until it landed on the bed beside her. "I can't remember the last time I danced for so long."

"Paris."

"That's right," Maura said, remembering. "The night at Chez Aveline's."

"That man hit on you," Jane said, rolling onto her side. "He tried to tell you you had nice tits but instead he said you had nice birds."

She leaned against the head of the bed. "I remember."

"Were you tempted?"

"By the man?" Maura pursed her lips, then looked away, shaking her head. "I was too focused on enjoying our trip to consider romantic engagements."

Tiptoeing her fingers across the bedsheets, Jane moved her hand across Maura's arm. "I regret sleeping with him."

"The man in Paris?" Maura asked, her mouth agape.

" _No!_ Davies."

"I thought you liked him."

"I did. I thought I did." Jane cleared her throat and pushed herself up a little. She stared at Maura, brown on hazel. "It'd been so long since I'd thought about any man."

"You've had a busy few years, after Casey."

"Casey's Casey," Jane said, rubbing her eyes. "Nobody's you."

Maura leaned forward. "Pardon?"

"Nobody's right," she said, heaving a sigh. Jane lifted herself up against the bed head and shook her head. "Nobody is nobody."

"You stopped making sense."

"I know."

"You've had too much to drink," Maura said. "We both have."

Jane shrugged. "I've had just enough."

"Just enough to not vomit."

"Yeah," she said, laughing. She leaned forward, her forehead rested against Maura's shoulder. "I miss you."

"I've been here for three days."

"I still miss you." Jane draped her arms across Maura's front, all too aware of the tingling sensation running through her body. She felt the contact of finger against breast, and squeezed her thighs tightly together. "I'll always miss you."

"Jane." Maura took her hand from where it had landed against her stomach and held it close. She hesitated, her eyes glistened. "You left me."

"I left," she said. "I had to leave."

"You didn't have to."

"I did." Jane rolled over and slid down against the bedsheets. "I couldn't stay."

"Why not?"

"How could I stay?" She shook her head, rubbing her palm across the tears that lingered on the edge of her skin. "Nothing changed."

"I didn't realise it needed to," Maura said, leaning over her shoulder. The touch of her fingers against Jane's skin made her shudder. Resting her chin against it, Maura brushed hair back from her face. "Are you crying?"

"No." Jane rubbed her cheeks.

"Jane." Maura's shoulders dropped. She rolled onto her back and stared up at the ceiling. "Why did you leave _me_?"

She listened to Maura's words, could hear them vocalised, and wondered what they meant. Her eyelids fluttered closed, her heart rate slowed, and she felt herself drifting off to sleep.

"If I told you I loved you, would it have ended differently?"

x

Jane got out of bed the second she woke up. She stood in the doorway to the bathroom, watching Maura sleep. Her heart felt heavy inside of her chest. The ache in her head was the only reminder she had left of the night before, her punishment for drinking too much on a school night.

"Jane?" Maura moved under the bed sheets, she rolled over revealing her bare breasts to the room.

Rushing into the bathroom, Jane closed the door. She didn't know at which point Maura had stripped off, but she was certain she was asleep by then. She leaned against the door and stared out across the bathroom, the imprint of Maura's body sat firmly in her mind.

x

"I made breakfast," Maura said, when Jane surfaced half an hour later.

She ran her hands through her dripping wet hair and squeezed the moisture with a towel. "Not hungry."

"Got a sore head?" Maura smiled, and placed a mug of coffee on the table.

Jane sat down, cupping the mug as she stared across at the plate of eggs opposite her. Maura joined her at the table, and pushed a second plate across. She wanted to refuse again but her stomach rumbled. She ate hungrily, silently, cautiously avoiding looking Maura in the eye.

"Have I done something wrong?" she asked, a few minutes later.

"No." Jane shook her head and nursed her drink. "I have to go to work."

" _Jane_."

She stood up and carried her plate and mug to the sink. On her way back to the door, Maura reached for her arm. She shrugged it off.

"I have work."

"I'll stop by when I finish," Maura said. "About one."

"I have classes all afternoon."

"I won't stay long."

"Okay."

x

"Jane, I need to speak with you," Davies said, approaching her in the break room.

She filled her mug with fresh coffee and leaned back against the counter. She shrugged and waited. Davies didn't speak. "Well?"

"I can see you're not happy," he said. He stood beside her and folded his arms. "Has something happened?"

"Like what?"

"I don't know. You tell me."

"Nothing."

"I know our relationships has," he started but she cut him off.

"Let's get one thing straight; sleeping together is not a relationship. I shouldn't have done it."

"Because of my wife?"

"Because I'm in love with someone else."

He leaned back, his eyes bugged. " _Oh_."

"Yeah." She shrugged, sipped her coffee, then emptied the contents into the sink. "Coffee tastes like shit."

"Jane," he said, reaching for her arm. "Can we at least be friends?"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"You had sex with me while you were still married."

"I told you, we separated."

"That's not what I heard yesterday," she said. "You and the wife reconciled."

He sighed. "Our relationship has been fractured for a long time. The break seemed to be beneficial."

"I thought you wanted me." She stepped close and rested a hand on his chest. "You and me, it was hot, wasn't it? If I said let's do it, what would you say?"

"I'd say," he breathed out, closing his eyes. Jane slipped a hand down across his stomach and along the top of his thigh. "I'd say…"

She leaned forward, capturing his lips. He reacted quickly, pushing his body against her. They turned around, lips on lips, and he pushed her against the counter. She wrapped her hands around the back of his head, tangling her fingers up in the short strands of hair. Breathing heavily, she reached out to his chest, forcing him away.

"What was that for?" he asked, leaning in.

"No." She pinched the bridge of her nose and shook her head. "I don't want this."

"Then why?"

"I dunno." She slipped out from the space between his body and the counter. "Maybe you and your wife should call it a day."

"Maybe." He shrugged. "You know, I really did want to be with you."

She breathed in slowly, then exhaled noisily. "If things were different. If I'd made a clean break."

"You'd still be in love with someone else."

"Yeah." She stalked across the room, rubbing her mouth. "I would."

x

She picked up the pile of assessments from her desk and stuffed them into her case. The last of the class disappeared out the door. She turned and dropped onto the chair, exhausted. She made a mental note to stay in for the evening.

"I thought they were never going to leave," Maura said, entering the room.

Jane refocused her attention on the pile of papers in her case. "I don't have long before my next class."

"Jane," Maura said, pulling up a chair and sitting opposite her. "Did I do something wrong?"

"No." She lifted her gaze, allowing her eyes to stop on Maura's for the briefest second before her heart ached too much. She picked up a pen and took the first assessment. "I've gotta mark this quiz."

"You can't fool me."

"Wasn't trying to."

"Really?" Maura gripped the end of the pen and tugged it away from her. Jane looked up. "You're acting like I've done something wrong."

"You didn't."

"Then why are you blowing me?"

Jane shook her head, the crease between her brows turned into the smallest smirk, which she brushed aside before it consumed her entirely face. "Blow you off, Maura. If you blow someone, you, _you know_."

"You know?" Maura frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Oral sex, Maura." Jane reclaimed her pen, forcing the stoicism back across her face. "I've got a lot to do."

"You can spare me five minutes."

"I really can't."

"I think you can," Maura said, turning the piece of paper around. She stood up, her voice went cold. "If you want to fool me into thinking you're too busy working, at least do the work, don't pretend."

"Maura, I," she said, sighing. She pushed the paper aside. "I…I kissed Davies this morning, even though he's got back together with his wife."

Maura folded her arms across her chest. "I'm not sure why you're telling me that. You were acting this way this morning, before you came into work. Whatever is wrong, it isn't about him."

The bell rang. Jane stood up. "I'm sorry, the class'll be here."

"I suppose I'll see you back at the apartment."

She turned tail and walked out, as the class filed into the room. Jane stepped forward, desperate to go after her, to explain better than she had. But a couple of women stood in front of her, expecting an answer to the question they'd just asked.

"Sorry, what was that?"

"Can we make up the quiz we missed yesterday?"

"Sure," Jane said, shrugging, her eyes still fixed on the doorway Maura had vacated a moment before.

* * *

 **Author Note : I couldn't make it that easy, could I?!**


	6. Chapter 6

**Author Note : This is the second to last chapter, there will be one more chapter after this one and then that's it. Fingers crossed I can write the other chapter today and post tomorrow before I leave for my trip. But I do want to get another chapter of Slide up, and I have lots to do. Plus there's some work going on next door so there's a lot of noise. :(**

* * *

The largest bouquet of flowers Jane had ever purchased weighed heavily in her arms. She took the stairs slowly and fumbled with her key in the apartment lock. It was quiet. For a moment she thought maybe Maura wasn't there, until she spotted her through the flowers sitting on the couch.

"What ya reading?"

"An article on molecular gastronomy."

Lowering the flowers, Jane stared at her. "What is that?"

"Food science. A blend of chemistry, physics, and food. Basically the transformation that occurs while cooking, it's more scientific than most people realise."

"Right." Jane stepped forward, holding out the flowers. "These are for you."

Narrowing her eyes, a small creased formed. She stood up and cradled the bouquet. "You bought me flowers?"

"I bought you a mix of sunflowers, Gerber daisies, and lilies."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why?" Jane asked, feeling a little dejected. "In Paris you said..."

"I know what I said." She lowered the bouquet onto the table. "Wanting a bouquet of your favourite flowers from someone who is in love with you is a natural step in a relationship. But we're not..."

Her voice drifted off into the silence. Jane stared into Maura's eyes. The confused expression sent her whole body into panic mode. She'd felt so strongly for so long she'd almost lost track of at which point she suspected Maura might reciprocate. In that moment, she doubted her own understanding of Maura Isles.

"...together."

"No." Jane stepped forward. She rested her fingers against Maura's elbow. "I thought I could handle being away from you. Knowing you were there on the other end of the computer was all I had. I tried to forget but then you came here. It's been everything I hoped it would. Then I panicked and I kissed Davies and now I've screwed everything up."

Lifting her hand up as the smallest barrier between them, Maura stared back. Their eyes fixed on each other. Jane's heart ached with every passing moment, every empty silent second.

"I thought I could handle being away from you, once you'd gone," Maura said. "But they say absence makes the heart grow fonder, and after that night in Paris, I haven't been able to settle."

"Oh God." Jane turned away, covering her eyes with her hand. "You were awake?"

"I was awake."

"The whole time?"

Maura stepped toward her, resting a hand against her shoulder. Jane balked, then settled under Maura's touch. "I'll never forget what you said. Every single word."

"I was drunk."

"Are you telling me you didn't mean it?" She sighed. "Because if you didn't mean it, then I don't know what I'm doing here."

Slowly inhaling and exhaling, Jane turned back. She forced herself to stare into Maura's eyes. "Every day that I spend here, with you, I feel like every moment of my life was waiting for it."

"I didn't know how easily I could fall for someone so different from myself," Maura said, the words flowing from memory, mixed with the sound of Jane's own voice, as they recalled the moment.

"But I did. Every day I don't say what I want to say. I had to leave because I couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't pretend that everything I wanted wasn't right there. Unreachable."

"You were surprisingly verbose for someone who'd had a few too many alcoholic drinks."

The space between them dissipated. The closer Maura got, the further Jane inched forward, until there was little space left. She lifted her fingers up to Maura's cheek and trailed her fingertips across her skin.

"Is this really happening?"

"One thing I don't understand," Maura said.

"What's that?"

"Davies."

Jane groaned. She lowered her hand. "I shouldn't have done it. He made me feel wanted, and like moving was the right decision. Finding out he was married was a blessing in disguise. Kissing him today was my way of screwing everything up, again."

Maura reached for her hand. She stared at their fingers as Maura guided them up between them. Palm against palm, interlinked fingers. Jane's breath caught in the back of her throat.

"Are you sure this is what you want?"

"You're not the only one who's been pretending that this isn't what they want," Maura said. "Last night I tried."

"That wasn't a dream?" Jane frowned. "What you said?"

"I thought you'd fallen asleep."

"I thought I had, too."

"But you didn't."

"No." Inching closer, Jane rested her forehead against Maura's. "If you'd told me, it would have ended differently."

"How could you be so sure?" Maura sighed. "You got a new job because you didn't want to put yourself in the firing line any longer."

"That's what I tell myself," she said. "Ma wanted me to stop putting my life at risk and I found a way to do that, while also getting away from the one thing I couldn't have."

"I don't know if I can do this, knowing I have to leave in a couple of days," Maura said, lowering her gaze.

Jane cupped her cheek, lifting her mouth back up just enough to brush her lips across them. Maura froze, then slipped her hands across the back of Jane's neck. She edged closer still, capturing her lips again, deepening the kiss. She tilted her head, as Maura tangled her fingers up in Jane's hair.

Stepping back, breathless, Jane stared into Maura's eyes. "Don't go."

"I have to."

She pulled away, forcing distance between them. Jane slouched against the couch. Her heart ached more, it hurt harder. She closed her eyes and tried to find a modicum of calm. The couch shifted with the weight of Maura sitting down beside her. She could feel her leg pressed against Jane's.

"I don't want to, but I have to return to work."

"This is why," Jane said, lowering her head. "I didn't realise it'd hurt this much. Leaving you in Paris was difficult enough, but this is like torturing yourself."

Maura moved from beside her. The weight shifted to her lap. When she opened her eyes, Maura's knees rested on either side of her legs. She glanced across her stomach and the dress she was wearing bunched up around her hips, and on up to her face inches from her own.

"What are you doing?"

"Making the most of the time we have," she said, trailing her fingertips up Jane's arms and kissing her again.

She rested her hands across Maura's back. Her heart swelled. Everything she'd dreamed about was happening. She almost couldn't believe it. She closed her eyes, committing to memories the softness of Maura's lips, the taste of her skin, the touch of her hands across her hot skin. Her whole body reacted and she knew, if left to get on with it, she'd happily take things all the way.

Maura lifted herself up, pushing her whole body against Jane's. She felt a tingling sensation travel throughout her body. Maura's breasts collided with Jane's and she let out the softest of moans. She sat back against Jane's knees. Jane stared into her hazel orbs, the eyes she'd longed to stare at with such need.

"Are we really doing this?" Jane asked.

Maura slipped her hands into the waistband of her slacks and tugged her shirt away. She slowly, methodically, unfastened each button one at a time. "We could wait, but I've waited long enough."

"Too long," Jane said, lifting her hands over her head as Maura pulled her shirt up and over them. Jane sucked and nibbled on her neck, sending the tip of her tongue across skin.

Maura climbed off her lap and stepped back. She reached behind her back and unzipped her dress, letting it drop to the floor. Standing up, Jane kissed her collarbone, and on down to the bare skin of her bra covered breast.

"Shall we retire to the bedroom?" Maura asked, interlinking her fingers with Jane's.

"God, yes," Jane said, moving round her body, her fingers brushed against her skin as they rushed through the apartment.

x

Arm in arm, their legs tangled together, Jane kissed the side of Maura's head. She dragged her fingernails along her thigh, teasing Maura's skin with every touch, despite her harried breath.

"Did you ever think that'd happen?" Jane asked.

"I always wanted it to."

"But did you think it would?"

Maura turned over, pressing herself against Jane. She crawled up her body and captured her lips. "No. I thought we'd never get this far."

"But we did," Jane said, draping her arms across Maura's back. "You're mine, and I'm yours, and everything's changed."

"Hopefully not too much," Maura said. "You're still my best friend, and I don't want this to change that."

Jane squeezed her arms around Maura. "Ma once told me that if you fall in love with your best friend, then you'll never be unhappy."

"That's beautiful," Maura said.

"Yeah." Jane sighed. "It was, until he cheated on her."

"It still is. I'm glad I fell in love with mine."

"Me too."


	7. Chapter 7

**Author Note** **: This is the final chapter of this story. We're done! I wrote it on the plane on the way to Australia...and I'm posting it on the plane...because wifi on a plane, so I thought it'd be pretty cool to be able to say I updated a story 40,000 feet in the air, somewhere over Eastern Europe. Onwards to the end...**

* * *

Tears dropped from Jane's eyelids and landed on Maura's shoulder. She stepped out of their embrace and swiped the back of her hand across her face, turning away. Maura reached out and gripped her wrist, pulling her back toward her.

"You don't have to be ashamed of your emotions," Maura said.

"I don't cry this much," Jane said. "I just don't want you to go."

Maura sighed. "I don't really want to go."

"Then why are you?"

"Jane," Maura said, cupping her cheek. "You know why. I can't abandon my job, my career."

"I just got you back."

"I know. We can make this work."

Leaning forward, Jane rested her forehead against Maura's. "I don't know how I'm gonna handle not seeing you every day."

Maura laughed softly, she ran her hands across the back of Jane's head, through her tangled mess of curls. "We've already done this once."

"We weren't together then."

"But we wanted to be."

She tilted her head and brushed her lips against Maura's, pulling her tightly into her arms as she deepened the kiss. Breathless, she pulled back, Maura still in her outstretched arms. "Can't you talk to your friend? See if he can get you more work here?"

She stepped away, turning in the opposite direction. Maura pinched the bridge of her nose. "It's not that simple."

"You don't want to give up being a medical examiner."

"It's complicated," Maura said. "You know the doubts I've been having about my work. This past week, aside from being one of the greatest weeks I've had for a long time. It also allowed me to see a life after being ME. But I don't know if I'm there yet."

"So, where does that leave us?" Jane asked, interlinking her fingers with Maura. She tugged her back toward her. "How do we be together when we're hundreds of miles apart?"

"Four hundred and thirty nine," Maura said. "Point four."

"How do I go to bed tonight knowing you're not there?"

"The same way you've done it for the last few weeks before I came."

Shaking her head, Jane rubbed at her eyes. "Why aren't you more upset?"

"I am." Maura pursed her lips. "I'm trying not to think too deeply about it, or else I don't know how I'm going to get on that plane."

Holding her arms out, Maura sunk back into them. Jane kissed the side of her head and held her close. She trailed her hands up and down her back, across the fabric of her dress. She longed for the few nights they'd spent together, learning each other's bodies in a way they'd never been able to before. She missed the bare skin, the feel of Maura's lips travelling up and down her body.

"Maybe I should take some time off work," she said, taking out her cell. "I'll call Davies and arrange it."

"Stop," Maura said, pulling her hand away from the cellphone. "Don't."

"But Maura."

"It won't make it easier."

"It'll make me feel better."

"It might make it harder."

She closed her eyes, her hand dropped to her side. She breathed in slowly, and felt the shake of her composure as she breathed out. Maura wrapped her arms around her, and she tucked her arms across her back.

"I'll call you when I land," Maura said.

"How long?"

"I don't know."

"Yes you do," Jane said. "You know your schedule better than the airline."

Maura sighed. "I'm not going to tell you."

"Why not?"

"Because then you'll be waiting, and expecting a call at a specific time. I can't promise you I'll ring you as soon as I get off the plane. I need to collect my bag. It's already late."

"So, you might not call at all tonight?"

"I don't know." Running her hand down the side of Jane's face, she kissed her. "If we're going to make this work, we need to start with some boundaries."

"What boundaries?"

"We're both too busy to be calling each other all the time."

"I'm not."

"You need to make friends," Maura said. "You can't keep pretending that things haven't changed."

"But I don't wanna make friends."

"You got along with Sammy and Lisa when we had dinner with them yesterday," Maura said. "They're nice people, and Lisa did say to give her a call if you wanted to go for a drink."

"They're not my people," Jane said.

Maura stared at Jane, her eyebrows tugged together. "They could be your people. I wasn't once, remember?"

"You're different."

"Until I wasn't." Maura pressed her lips to Jane's, then stood back. "I have to go."

"It's too soon."

"I know," Maura said. "But we'll see each other again. It won't be long."

"My weekends are pretty empty now."

"I know." Maura smirked and rested her hand against Jane's cheek. "If you hadn't used up all of my flyer miles coming to Paris with me, then maybe it would have been easier."

"I don't regret that for a second," Jane said. "I'd rather have to pay for flights now, to come home, than have to take back our month in Paris."

"Me too." Stepping back, Maura gripped Jane's fingers. "I love you."

Jane tilted her head. "Isn't it a bit soon to be saying that?"

Maura rolled her eyes. "It's not like we haven't already said it."

"Not like that!"

"Jane."

"What?"

"You're stalling."

"No I'm not."

"I'm not going to argue with you about this," Maura said. She stepped back further, letting her hand drop by her side. "I'll speak to you soon."

"Wait," Jane said, closing the small gap. She slipped her hands around the back of Maura's head and crushed her mouth against Maura's. Slipping her tongue between Maura's lips, she brushed it along the edge of her mouth and tangled it up with Maura's. She trailed her fingers along the skin across Maura's neck and along her shoulders. She stepped back again, breathless. "I love you, too."

With a slight nod, Maura turned away, tears in her eyes, as she walked towards the security check area. On approach, she turned her head and gave a smile wave. Jane waved back, gripping her hands together to stop the tears from coming.

When Maura had gone through, and disappeared out of sight, Jane's resolve crumbled. She rubbed her hands across her eyes, brushing the tears away.

On the walk back to the car, her cellphone buzzed in her pocket. She stared at Maura's name on the scene. For a moment, she considered ignoring it.

"What happened to not calling?"

"I'm sat here on the other side of security with an espresso."

"So you thought you'd call?" Jane asked.

"I thought I'd tell you that I've been thinking about that morning we spent on that tiny back street near our hotel, sitting in the smallest outside seating area I've ever seen."

"Drinking espresso."

Maura went silent for a moment. Jane wanted to fill the void, but she waited. Eventually, Maura spoke again. "It doesn't matter how far away you are, or how little time we have to talk, you're never far from my thoughts."

"Shucks," Jane said, wiping her face with the sleeve of her jersey. "You're gonna make me cry again."

"I'm sorry."

"You don't have to be sorry."

"I called my travel agent."

"You have a travel agent?"

"Yes. He arranged my trip to Paris."

Jane smiled. She walked up to her car, parked in the loading zone, and sat down in the front seat. "Of course you have a travel agent."

"I've arranged for a weekend trip to Connecticut."

"Why Connecticut?"

"It's central between Boston and DC."

"I could have just come home."

"I know," Maura said. "But this way we can make more memories like Paris."

"You know," Jane said. "We've never been together in Boston."

"No."

"Isn't that weird?"

"Is it?"

"I dunno. It seems weird. It's where we met, it's where we've lived our whole lives together."

"But maybe it's not where our future is."

"No." Jane sighed. "I don't like that thought. That our future is so separate."

"I've also spoken to my friend at the university."

"How long have you been gone?"

"They were quick calls."

"I've made it known to him that should a position become available, I'd like to be considered."

"So, if a position comes available, you'll move to DC?"

"It's a plausible option."

"Now can you tell me what time you'll call?"

"Jane."

"What? You spent two phone calls planning your future, all I want is to know what time you'll call."

"About eleven."

"I'll be waiting."

"That's what I was afraid of."

"That I'd be waiting? What's wrong with waiting for you?"

"Nothing. I suppose."

"Besides, I've not had to fall asleep without you for a week. I need something to help ward off insomnia."

"You've been suffering from it a lot lately, perhaps you should go see your doctor. It could be some form of anxiety."

Jane rolled her eyes, a smirk spread across her face. "It's not anxiety, Maura. I just need to hear your voice, and see your face."

"Then I'll speak to you at eleven."

"Bye."

"Goodbye, Jane."

* * *

 **The End**


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